Anyone ever added a sleeper ?

Hi IH...I'm kind of assuming you have an International daycab now...? A small 36" bunk isn't that heavy...a Pete or KW one I've wrestled myself off a truck once or twice, one end at a time. Probably 400-500 lbs. tops.

Adding a bunk may or may not be all that easy to do, depending on the truck you're talking about. If you were thinking about doing the old fashioned crawl-through version as you described how the other guy does...well, that would be the path of least resistance (not in terms of entering the bunk, but in terms of installation, lol.)

You've got to look at the exhaust situation you have for one thing. How is it mounted now...to the cab, or on a separate stantion off the frame...will it be in the way with a bunk...? If so, that will have to be re-routed either out further behind this bunk, or turned into a grass burner. Then there's the window boot seal syndrome to contend with next.

If crawling through the window hole doesn't trip your trigger, then the back cab panel needs to be cut and that gets involved. At that point the only proper thing to do unless you're extremely handy with an air shears, is to call ICT (Indiana Custom Trucks) or ARI out in Shipshewanna, Indiana and get a quote from them for the job to do the install. They do them every day, and know the exact procedure to cut and match everything up, including the rubber boot between the cab and bunk. They sell small, generic bunks there also, if you needed to buy one.

I see from your avatar you're in the Great Lakes region. We're up in the northeast in New England, and many of us yanks go out to Shipshee to have this very thing done out there. Guys spec. brand new large cars as long wheelbased cab & chassis, and have ICT install them because of their reputation and ability to do it so neatly.

Hope that helps. If it were me...path of least resistance; dive in bunk head first...cheapest and easiest way out. Find a bunk for $1,000.00 or thereabouts and mount it, but again you gotta deal with the window boot seal. It's all in what you want at the end of the day.

 

My 72 inch weighs in at 1100 pounds empty, I have no idea why other than the top is a heavy fiberglass.

I've added one on a truck or actually helped with it, it is a pain if you didn't do it before, one reason why I said helped is I gave up on trying to do it and called someone in to finish it. I cut the hole for the entry point and put a flange that came with the sleeper in place, drilling about 30 holes for bolts, then the hard part was to get the sleeper on the frame and aligned which took three of us. That is where I needed the help.

 

Oh, too bad they copped an attitude. I'd have to imagine there's got to be a place closer to you that would take on the project of mounting and getting a good seal between the cab and bunk...even if you did do the crawl-through-window route.

Whether it is a sit-in or crawl through...when you're fried and need rest, you're more than happy to crawl in and stretch out...lol. I remember sleeping on the floor of my 1896 Western Star day cab when I was running from New England to Canton, Ohio with my dump wagon...Once I got down in there and able to lay flat...it felt like a pillow top bed at the Hilton to me.

 

IMO, you would be more likely to use a bench seat for a nap than a crawl thru sleeper. Even after removing your shoes, you can still break switches or turn things on when crawling into it. Then you have to curl up to reach thru to turn them off again. Then there are no windows, or easy way to view outside if you hear a disturbing noise or something.

A walk in, definitely usable. But much more involved to instal and uninstall. till limited viewing, but much easier to sit up and have a look than a crawl thru with no where to set your feet down when sitting up.

Back in the old days, some trucks had a roll up back window. So a crawl thru sleeper was an easy thing to ad, though seldom removed.I just last week went to look at a 76' KW with a 36", and sure enough, it had a roll up window. But that was long before unibilt and aerodyne etc. that were more of a cab extension than a sleeper.

 

What's your thoughts on doing a sleeper from a salvage yard? Sleeper is already setup for your truck cab with boot and all components there to work with.

 

A good truck body shop should be able to install the sleeper and cut the back wall to fit the window from the back of your day cab if the sleeper you buy does not have a back window in it. I would also want a right side window, if you are used to a day cab the extra visibility comes in handy when making tight blind side backing maneuvers. I have thought about putting one on my day cab car hauler for the same reasons as you, nut have not found one that I like, I have a Volvo VNM42T, and they look funny without the factory integrated sleeper. There should be many used sleepers available at salvage yards and at truck shops that remove them to make day cabs.

Being a bigger guy myself, I had a sit thru 36" on an International 9900i, it was nice to have the sleeper but a pain to get in. If I was going to do it again I would have went with a walk thru, even though it means a lot more fab work to the back of the cab, it would be more comfortable.

Good luck with your project.